Mike snared at the man who had cut him. Kowle stood there with a smile on his face, flipping a dagger in the air and catching it by the hilt.

   Mike turned to Briar. "Stay here," he demanded her. "Keep the Princess safe." His gaze met Saphira's cold, void eyes and he frowned. "No matter what," he finished with a whisper.

   He turned back around to face his opponent, his eyes narrowed in anger. He clenched his fists until the knuckles turned white. He stepped out on to the ships deck. Kowle held his sword boldly out in front of him.

   "How is it a fair fight when I don't even have a sword?" Mike asked.

   Kowle withdrew a sword from its scabbard that hung on his left side. He threw Mike the sword before making a mocking bow. "Shall we?"

   Mike caught the sword in his fist and held it before Kowle. He didn't need to say anything. His expression said it all for him. He raced towards his opponent with his sword high.

   Kowle didn't move as the Squire rushed towards him. He held his stance. As Mike raised his weapon and swung it downwards towards the mans shoulder, Kowle raised his own sword to block Mike's attack.

   Mike knew from the start that this was not going to be easy. Kowle was going to be a very hard opponent to beat, in fact... probably harder than a bear.

   Kowle and Mike had both been trained with a sword, but Kowle had been alive a lot longer then Mike, which means... he knew a lot more.

   Mike took a moment to study the man before him. His stance, his movement, the way he held his sword, everything about the way this man fought, he wanted to know.

   Mike was startled from his trance as Kowle leaped towards him, slicing his sword sideways to cut through the boys throat. Mike barely hurled himself backwards in time. He threw his sword upward to meet Kowle's with a loud clang.

   Kowle clinched his teeth tightly together and swiped his sword swiftly through the air once more. The Squire rolled to the side and fell on the ground. He immediately hopped up to his feet.

   "Micah!" a voice cried from behind him.

   Mike slung his head around to see Briar trying to stop an escaping Princess.

   "Briar, let me go!" Saphira shouted as she tried to break free from her maidservants grip, a severe look of anger buried on her face.

   "Hold her down!" Mike shouted back to his friend. A sudden sting on his arm as metal entered and left his flesh brought him back to his life threatening situation.

   Kowle chuckled loudly. "Why don't you just give up, little man?" He gestured with his sword towards the three girls in the boat. "Give up and I won't hurt them."

   Mike nearly dropped his weapon at the intense burning in his arm. His white sleeve darkening into blood red. Mike narrowed his eyes in pure hatred.

   At that moment, Kowle's expression appeared to waver. He took a few steps backwards as Mike gripped the handle on his sword tighter.

   Mike lunged out at him. He whipped his sword through the air and sliced towards Kowle's arm. His opponent block his swing but stubbled backwards. Mike continued to advance. He flung his sword upward and the tip of his blade left a gash in Kowle's running up his cheek to his forehead. Kowle, now lying defenseless on the ground, could only stare up into the Squires soulless eyes.

   "Do it!" Kowle spat. "Show your friends here just how tough of a man you really are."

   Mike gripped his sword tightly in his hand. "I don't have to be a man to end your pathetic life. My service goes to the King first." He paused. "And therefore, to the safety of his daughter." With one swift move, Mike plunged his sword into his opponents chest.

   Kowle's eyes opened wide in fear of death before he fell motionless on to his back.

   The whole world seemed to play out in slow motion at that moment. Briar had let go of the Princess in shock of what Mike had just done, and Saphira had taken off towards a door. Another door flung open and about fifty Vomika came pouring out. Knights from the Light Kingdom charged on board as they climbed the siding, weapons raised for battle. All around Mike, the Vomika and Knights fought one another. All the Squire could do was stare at the dead man below his feet.

   The Squire dropped his weapon to the ground. "What have I done?" he asked himself in a whisper.

   King Edwin climbed aboard the boat and gazed at the surrounding battle. He was searching for his daughter. All he wanted to know was that she was okay. But how could he be sure of that without finding her?

   Edwin caught sight of the young squire boy leaning against the edge of the boat, one hand clasping his right forearm, the look of fear burned in his eyes. The King ran over to the boy.

   Mike was startled by the strong grip on his arms by the King, pain running through his right arm and down to his hand.

   "Where is my daughter?" Edwin shouted at Mike. He didn't respond right away.  "Micah, where is she?!"

   The Squire raised a shaking hand to point towards a door reading CAPTAINS COURTERS.

   Edwin nearly threw Mike backwards as he let go and dashed towards the door. As he sprinted down the few stairs, he suddenly stopped at the sound of his daughters voice screaming.

   "Tell me! Tell me right now!" he heard her voice demand.

   Edwin stood behind the door as he listened in on what was happening inside.

   Saphira stood nearly on top of Malak with a sword pointed at the brutal mans throat.

   Malak grinned with his hands raised. "What is there to tell you, my lady?" He laid underneath the Princesses boot, a life threatening wound in his leg.

   Saphira bent lower to the ground to where their faces were almost touching. "You know what," she spat.

   Malak chuckled under his breath. "Oh yes! Of course!" He paused and lowered his hands. "That. You know what I am about to tell you will only upset you more."

   "Tell me!" the Princess screamed.

   "Alright, alright!" Malak held up his hands in defense once more. "You want to know about your biological parents?"

   "Yes," she pleaded with a soft cry.

   "Very well. But don't say I didn't warn you. You will never look at your parents in the same way again. Are you ready for that?"

   Saphira nodded. "Yes," she said even softer.

   Malak cleared his throat as he began to tell the story. "Not every Dark Being is evil you know. And not every Light is good."

   "'I'm not understanding," Saphira interrupted.

   "Well let me even get started!" Malak shouted. He sighed before continuing. "Around twenty years ago, a woman from the Dark Kingdom and a man from the Light Kingdom fell madly in love. But, of course, such a thing as this can never happen. The day arrived where their kingdoms would battle over who reined the other. The man and woman hated the idea greatly. They didn't want to see the people they loved die. So, they ran away together, got married, had a couple of children... a set of twins to be precise."

   At this point in time, Saphira had lowered the tip of the sword that had been pointed at Malak. She could not believe what she was hearing.

   "The man and woman were concerned for their children," the man beneath her feet continued. "Their children were both of a different nature. Their son had the trait of their mother and the daughter their father. The man and woman were afraid. They had heard of the prophesy stating that a Prince from the Dark Kingdom would murder his twin sister who was the Princess of the Light Kingdom. Now, they were not royalty. They would have had nothing to worry about... except the fact that word had traveled to both their kingdoms that the prophesy had been born."

   "So, you're saying-" Saphira tried to interrupt again, but Malak held up his hand to silence her.

   "Let me finish," he told her.

   "Once the Kings had found out what their people had done, they searched for them," he went on. "They searched, and they found, and they killed the parents. They each took one of the children to announce peace between their land. The Dark King took the boy and the Light King the girl. Since neither King new when the children were born, they marked that day as their birthday. Many say it was the day where Arie and Nara both shown the brightest in their lands." Malak sighed once more.

   Saphira fell to the floor and stared straight down. "I am the girl mentioned in the story, aren't I?" She turned her head up towards a wounded Malak lying beside her on the ground. All he did was nod his head in agreement. "Snyder is my brother, isn't he?" Another nod from the wicked man.

   "That's not even the best part," he said. "The best part is that the Light King never kept his agreement with the Dark King." Malak turned his head ever so slightly towards the Princess. "Your father has been hunting down your brother for years. And now, I've just handed him over to that ruthless man. I don't think you'll ever see your brother again." Malak burst out laughing.

   Saphira jumped to her feet. "No! No, you're lying!" She dropped the sword and took off running towards the stairs. Her father stepped out from behind the door to greet her.  She gasped and began backing away. "How could you?!" she shouted. "You killed my parents just because they loved each other and wanted to keep Snyder and I safe?"

   "This isn't what it seems," Edwin tried to reason.

   "Then what is it?" she asked him.

   Edwin couldn't hink of a reply. "I did what I had to to protect my kingdom."

   Saphira backed away some more. "You took me from my home! You made me your daughter! I could have lived a happy life with my family, my real family! I would have had a mother and father who were there for me when I needed them, a brother that would still be alive!"

   "And also try to kill you!" Edwin added. "Need I remind you that this Vomika just explained to you how your twin brother is going to try to murder you?"

   Saphira shook her head. "He was never going to, Father," she said tenderly. But then she shook her head. "You don't even deserve to be called Father. The prophesy says a Prince and a Princess. Snyder and I were never either of those until you took us away from our home."

   "You mustn't tell the boy," Edwin told her grimly. "If he finds out, he will try to kill you."

   Saphira shrugged. "How do I even know he's still alive?" Saphira brushed up against her father as she stormed up the stairs and out of sight. She was going to save her brother! No matter what the cost. "No matter the cost," she whispered to herself.

   Edwin turned his body towards the wounded Knight lying helplessly on the ground. "What did you do, Malak?"

   "You cannot blame me, Edwin!" Malak shouted. "I have done what you asked me to. I brought you the Prince!"

   "At the stake of me losing my daughter!" Edwin shouted in rage. "You were suppose to bring me the Prince and him alone! You were never suppose to capture these children and my daughter. I only wanted the Prince! Now, because of you, I have lost my daughter forever!"

   "She surprised me, my lord!" Malak argued. "She jumped me from behind and was going to kill me if I did not tell her what she wanted to know."

   Edwin's raged boiled inside. "I gave you a real Vomika's armor to disguise yourself with years ago! Has the armor gotten to your head? Or have you forgotten your real mission? You brought me the Prince and then you were suppose to disappear. You were suppose to demand the corans, I was going to give them to you, and you'd be on your way. But instead you held my daughter captive!"

   Malak began to chuckle once more. "I've always hated you, Edwin," he stated sternly. "Even as a knight in your service, I have always hated you. You killed the woman I loved!"

   "She was a sorceress!" Edwin shouted. "And you trained under her influence. You're lucky I let you live!"

   "I would have rather died and be with her then to serve under an ungrateful and selfish King!" Malak gritted his teeth in anger, blood splattering against his cheek.

   Edwin didn't say a word. He removed his sword from its sheath and stepped up beside Malak. Edwin stared down into his eyes and shrugged. "Well... wish granted." With one swift move, Edwin plunged the tip of his sword into the Vomika's heart. One final breath and he no longer moved.

   Edwin withdrew his sword and wiped the blood on his pants. "Now," he said to himself. "I've got a prince to kill."